The Lord's Vengeance
by sister-b
Summary: It's been eight years since Dani was left alone. A morning news report leads her to wonder how much longer she'll be alone. Set during the events of BDS2: ASD
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_ _Get used to seeing this author's note as most, if not all, chapters of this fic include scenes taken straight from the movie. I'm just covering my own ass. ;) __I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Thin tendrils of smoke danced above Dani's head as they snaked from the cigarette in her hand. With squinted eyes, she watched over the city of Boston, her thoughts always on one thing. One man. Sometimes she cursed him for staying in her thoughts constantly for the past eight years. Sometimes she embraced the thoughts, taking comfort in his memory. The memories were particularly vivid when a rainbow showed up in the sky. Ireland was known for rainbows in a way, right?

She took a deep breath and finished her cigarette, stubbing it out on the ledge of the rooftop before tossing it over the edge. Deep down, she was glad she came back to Boston. New York had never been a good fit. She needed home. It was where she and her brother had grown up, it was where her brother had died, it was where she fell in love. Her hands jammed into the pockets of her jeans, she headed back inside, down the stairs to her apartment. Upon walking in, she heard the television she'd left on.

"--inside the Church of the Holy Saints..."

Dani's heart leapt at the word "saints." Her full attention was turned to the local newscast.

"--we have confirmed that the body was ritualized with pennies in the eyes."

She grabbed onto the back of a chair to stay standing. "Murphy..." she breathed.

"Many remember this as the grisly calling card of the prolific vigilante killers known as the Saints who went on a murder spree here in Boston. A rampage that ended eight years ago when the Saints brazenly walked into open court and executed mafia don Poppa Joe Yakavetta before a courtroom of terrified witnesses and then simply disappeared without a trace."

"Oh my god..." Dani whispered, her mouth dry. She hadn't caught the whole story, but she could tell that the reporter was standing outside a church. And he'd been talking about a body... "No..." Her grip on the chair loosened. "No, it can't be...they would never..."

"--have yet to confirm the Saints' possible involvement, the ominous question hangs heavy in the air: Are they back?"

Dani stood straight, her eyes narrowing at the tv screen. "It's not them," she said out loud, shaking her head slowly. "They would never. Not in a church." Her memory flashed to news reports about priests abusing altar boys, stealing from the church coffers, her mind reminding her that even religious men are fallible. "No." She shook her head hard. In spite of the possibilities, she somehow knew it couldn't be her Saints.

She pressed her lips together in thought, crossing her arms over her chest. Then, taking her cell phone out of her pocket, she quickly tapped out a text message: "Can we talk somewhere tonight?"

She didn't receive an answer for an hour. When she did, her lips curled into a small smile at the response: "Coffee shop on 4th, 9:30?"

She responded with a quick, "Yes."

xxxxxxx

Dani sat at a table in the coffee shop, tapping her fingers against her cup. She picked a 24 hr business on purpose; she knew he wouldn't be on time. Checking her watch, she noticed it was close to 11 PM. Her head snapped up every time the bell over the door jingled to announce someone's arrival. Finally she saw her man and rose to greet him with a smile on her face. Duffy saw her and grinned, walking quickly to her and hugging her tight. "Sorry I'm late, sweetheart," he said as he sat at her table.

"I understand. Probably a big work day for you." She noticed he was still wearing his suit and tie under the trenchcoat he'd removed and draped over a chair. Although the detective looked tired, he was as neat as always.

"You have no clue," he said with a sigh. He rubbed a hand over his face as if to emphasize his point.

"So?" Dani asked. She couldn't wait to get straight to the point. "Is it them?"

Duffy glanced around and motioned with his hand for her to keep her voice down. He leaned closer to her and said quietly, "Not a chance. We've got several pieces of evidence that proves it's not." Dani breathed a sigh and leaned back. "But you've gotta understand something: this was a priest that was killed. And whoever did it is trying to make it look like the boys did it. How do you think they're going to react to that news?"

Dani shook her head slowly. "I don't know how long it'll take 'em to find out, but I have a feeling they will." Duffy nodded silently. "And when they do, especially since their whole reason for being has been twisted into something ugly through this? Yeah, they're gonna come take care of it." As the words came out of her mouth, her heart began to beat a little faster, as if speaking the words aloud made them more true. Murphy would be coming back...

Rubbing a finger over his lips in thought, Duffy gazed at a spot on the wall beyond Dani. "Yeah...I know," he said with a sigh finally, letting his head drop.

"What's the matter?" Dani asked.

"The feds are involved already," he said, not looking at her. "They sent this woman because of how it looks like one of the Saints' jobs. She knows that this isn't them, but she's still sticking around, and I don't know why." Duffy finally looked up and saw the concern in Dani's eyes. "She's smart. Practically a new Smecker."

"Fuck..." Dani whispered, her eyes dropping to the tabletop. "So when they DO come back..."

"She'll be on 'em like flies on a dead body." Silence fell between them as Detective Duffy's words echoed in their thoughts.

Dani clenched her teeth. "God, if only they'd left some way for me to contact them... I could warn them..."

Duffy slid a hand over hers to comfort her. "All we can hope is that they come and take care of business and leave again before Agent Bloom has a chance to collar 'em." She looked into his eyes, and he tried to smile to make her feel more confident in his words, but she was still scared. If Murphy was living free in Ireland, at least she had the smallest chance of seeing him again. If he's locked up...

Bringing her out of her thoughts, Duffy patted Dani's hand and sat back. "I need to be gettin' home," he said, stretching his arms over his head. "Probably gonna be goin' over this one over and over tomorrow."

Dani smiled at him and stood as he got up to put his coat back on. "Thanks for comin' to talk."

He smiled at her and motioned for her to come closer so he could hug her again. "You know, you can contact me to talk anytime. Doesn't have to be if there's trouble. Okay?" She looked into his kind face and smiled, nodding. "All right. You need a ride home?"

Dani shook her head. "Nah, I'll be fine. Stoppin' at Doc's on the way to see if I can help him close up."

Duffy smiled again. "Okay, sweetheart, take care." With a small wave, he walked out of the coffee shop, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She shrugged her coat on and left the shop, her eyes darting back and forth as she walked down the street, staying aware of her surroundings on her way to the bar where she worked. It was her night off, but she loved the old bartender, and she'd always stop to help out if she was in the area.

xxxxxxx

Two nights later, Dani was wiping down the bar after closing. Doc was bustling around, taking inventory and restocking the bottles that were running low. "Doc, it's only Wednesday," Dani said with a chuckle. "We can do that tomorrow."

Doc looked up at her and shook his head. "No, we need to have things r-r-ready." He shuffled over to another section and began counting.

"Ready?" She tossed the rag she was using in a bucket of bleach water and leaned against the bar. "For what?"

The old man's eyes seemed to light up when he looked at her this time. "I'm gonna be tellin' you a secret, d-d-dear." He motioned for her to come closer. She frowned, walking closer to him. "The Lord be tellin' me I'm to have things ready. FUCK! ASS! And th-th-th-they WILL be ready!" He smiled brightly at Dani.

"But ready for what, Doc?" she prodded. "Surely the rapture isn't happenin', and Jesus told you he wants a shot when he gets here."

Doc chuckled. "N-n-no, my dear. Ready for the boys!"

Dani's mouth dropped open. Then she shook her head. "No, Doc, what happened at the church the other day, that wasn't them..."

"Fool girl, I know it wasn't th-th-them. FUCK! ASS! But they be comin'!" Dani chewed at her bottom lip as the old man shuffled away, wondering if he was right. The Lord had spoken to the Saints; who's to say He wouldn't talk to old Doc as well? "You go on home, Dani," Doc called from the store room. "I'll g-g-get things f-f-f-finished here."

"Come on, Doc," she said, beginning to smile as she followed his voice into the store room. "You know I...can't..." She noticed something different in the store room. It was tidier than normal. Still with the dusty pool table in the middle and old pinball machines along the side, but... Looking around, she noticed some blankets piled up on top of some boxes. "You really think they'll be coming here?" she asked.

The old man looked up at her with surprised eyes. "Of course. The Lord told me so."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Friday night was busy at McGinty's pub, as it always was. When the bar finally cleared out, Dani immediately set about to cleaning. She noticed Doc was restocking again. He was still determined to have everything ready. "Hey, Doc, I'm gotta take these bottles out back," she called, picking up a box of empties. He waved her off with a hand and went back to his count. She went out the back door, setting the box next to the dumpster in the alley. The cold night air felt nice on her skin. The bar could get pretty stifling when it was busy, so being able to take a breather was nice. When she felt refreshed by the cold, she went back inside.

"FUCK! ASS!" she heard from the front. She frowned. Doc's tic only went off if he was talking, and he wasn't the type to talk to himself. Listening harder, she heard other voices; but she couldn't make out any words. It was nearly 3 AM; and she couldn't figure out who would be there so late, especially after closing time. She crept to the door leading back into the bar and peered around the frame. Her mouth dropped open, and her heart began to crash in her chest.

"Oh my god...Murphy," she said, her voice shaky as she walked into the main portion of the bar.

Murphy turned with a bottle of whiskey in his hand at the sound of her voice, his eyes wide with surprise. Connor just grinned. "Dani?" Murphy said softly, setting the bottle on the bar. "Oh my god, Dani?" He ran to her and scooped her into a hug, spinning her around as he kissed her. His kisses landed on her mouth, her cheeks, her neck.

When he finally set her back on her feet, Dani's face was wet with tears. She was smiling from ear to ear, touching his face gently. "I knew you would be back, I just knew it," she said, making Murphy smile.

"You look lovely as ever, Dani," Connor said, stepping forward.

Dani pulled herself from Murphy's grip to give Connor a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She heard a throat clearing and looked over Connor's shoulder to see a man she'd never met. "Oh, uh, this here's our Mexican," Murphy said with a jovial tone to his voice.

The man shook his head with a small smile and offered his hand to her. "Romeo," he introduced himself.

Dani took his hand and shook it, giving her own smile, "Dani."

Doc was smiling through the reunion and introductions. Finally he tapped Connor on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow. Before following Connor, Murphy took hold of Dani's hand, smiling gently as he looked in her eyes. She couldn't help but giggle as his other hand grabbed the bottle of whiskey he'd placed on the bar. "This used to be a speak-easy, in the 40's. I only use it for storage now," Doc explained, leading them into the nearly hidden back storage room.

Looking around, the brothers said in unison, "Holy shit..." Murphy only let go of Dani's hand so he could put down his bulky duffel bag and take off his peacoat.

"This is so cool!" Romeo exclaimed, looking around the room in awe.

"Nobody knows it's up here but me and Dani," Doc said. "You'll be safe. A-a-a-and oh! You can get in and out the f-f-f-f-fire escape."

"Know what this is?" Romeo said thoughtfully. "This is our hideout. We got a fuckin' hideout, man!"

Dani hid a smile behind her hand as Connor and Murphy began to grin. Connor laughed. "What're you, fuckin' five years old?"

Murphy took a swallow of whiskey from the bottle he was holding. "You know, Rome...we got sticks. And blankets. You could make yourself a fort," he teased, handing the bottle to Connor. Dani snorted, still trying to hide her laughter.

"Ha, fuck the both of you, man, this is fuckin' sweet!" Romeo insisted. "We even got pinball machines, man!"

As the brothers continued to rib Romeo, Dani slipped out of the store room with a smile. She went to the bar and gathered a few more bottles of alcohol. She knew the boys. They'd need them eventually. When she returned, Doc had laid out a sheet on the pool table and was heading into the kitchen to get some food he'd left simmering. Murphy wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply. She put her arms around his neck and eagerly returned the kiss, tasting the alcohol and cigarettes on his tongue. "Why aren't you in New York?" he asked when he pulled back.

She shook her head. "I couldn't stay there. The job was shit, the city was shit...I couldn't stay in that apartment after you left..." Murphy's eyes dropped to the floor, and he let her go. She grabbed hold of his arm to keep him from moving away. "No...I just...Boston's home, that's all. Here..." She pulled him towards the fire escape so they could talk in private.

"I'm sorry, Dani," Murphy said quietly when they were alone.

"Shh..." She gently touched a finger to his lips, shushing him. "You don't need to apologize. I understand."

Murphy looked at her for a moment before speaking again. "I wasn't sure that you would."

Dani smiled. "You left to protect me," she said. "I didn't like it, but I understood it." There was a moment of silence between them. "Where's Da?" she asked, having grown used to using the name the brothers used for their father.

"Back in Ireland. He has no business here with this," Murphy said, looking up at the night sky.

Dani hesitated. "You know he WILL have business here if the FBI gets too close to you," she said in a low voice.

Murphy looked back at her, putting his arms around her. "We won't be around long enough for that. We'll get this taken care of." His face was serious. "You did know that, right? That we couldn't stay?"

Dani's lips pressed together for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. "Yeah, I know. And I'm not expecting you to take me with you when you leave again, don't worry."

"I'm sorry, Dani," he whispered, his eyes sad.

She nodded, placing her hand on his cheek. "Me too." Her hand moved to the back of his neck to pull him into a soft kiss. When they separated, their foreheads were still touching. "God, I wish you could quit this," she whispered, her hand flat over his heart.

"'Tis God's will, love," he said. "I can't."

"I know." She shivered, the cold of the night finally breaking through.

"Come on, let's get in before you catch cold," Murphy said, smiling sadly at her.

She nodded, then stopped. "Wait." Murphy frowned, turning back to her. Dani's arms were wrapped around her frame, trying to stay warm. "That last night we spent together, back in New York..." Murphy swallowed, nodded for her to continue. She managed a small smile. "I never said I love you back to you." Murphy's expression softened, a smile of his own coming to his lips. She stepped forward and took his face in her hands. "I love you, Murphy MacManus, even if we can't be together. I'll always be waiting for you. Right here."

Murphy took her hand in his, kissing the palm of her hand. "I love you too, Daniela." He kissed her lightly, then pulled her back through the fire escape with him, back into the warm building. Doc had laid out their meal on the pool table.

"'Bout time you two came back in," Romeo said, raising a bottle of alcohol in greeting. "We were gonna give up on saving you any!"

"Ah, not like I couldn't make more," Dani said, grinning. She noticed a look of curiosity and worry on Connor's face, and she smiled at him with a small nod. He smiled back and gave a nod of his own. He understood that things were okay and that she'd be okay. Almost immediately, Murphy had lit a cigarette and began teasing Romeo about something. In the course of his teasing, he slipped in a jab at Connor, who began to argue with his brother. Dani chose a chair to perch on and watched the men, giggling as Murphy began to climb over the pool table to get at Connor. Doc, meanwhile, was trying to keep order and was having trouble making himself heard over the yelling. The argument was all in good fun, just teasing and brotherly ribbing.

Finally, the brothers came to a truce, drinking a shot to seal it. Connor poured a fresh shot for Doc in spite of the old man's protests. Murphy, noticing that Dani had somewhat separated herself from the mayhem, walked over to her and dragged her back to the pool table, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he shoved the bottle of whiskey he'd been holding into her hand. Connor, on her other side, handed her a shot glass. She looked at the glass and thunked it on the table, taking several swigs straight from the bottle, making Romeo and Connor laugh. Doc's eyes were wide as he watched her drink; and Murphy slapped her on the back like one of the guys, proclaiming, "Thatta girl!"

Somehow, in his exploring the store room, Connor found a life-sized plastic lobster. He caught Dani's eye and winked as he placed it in front of his crotch, sneaking up on Romeo from behind. "LOBSTER DICK!" he yelled as he shoved it against Romeo's ass, making Romeo jump and protest loudly. Connor began chasing him around the pool table. Murphy, lying on the pool table, fell into a fit of drunken giggles, eventually rolling off the pool table and falling to the floor. Dani rushed over to him, giggling herself as she made sure he was okay. He pulled her down on top of him, kissing her sloppily. She grinned, standing again and making her way to the back of the room, out of the action. As she watched the boys at play, her smile faded. Something was missing. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes with a sigh.

"He's here, dear," Doc said from her side. "Your brother's w-w-watchin' ya."

She smiled at the kind old man. "I know." She gasped. "I forgot! We never finished cleaning up! You stay here, I'll finish up the bar." She left the room, glad for a bit of quiet. She could hear the boys thumping around, still at play like children; and it made her smile. She quietly sang to herself as she tidied up the bar for the next night of business. When she was done, she was wiping her hands on a dishrag as she went back to the store room.

The scene before her was tense. The brothers and Romeo were on one side of the pool table. Doc was on the other. Connor and Doc were eye to eye, while Murphy and Romeo were leaning against the edge of the table. "Not this time," Doc said softly to Connor. "Ye ain't gettin' SHIT."

Dani crept into the room, wondering what had happened to cause such a shift in their demeanors. "We'll see about that, old man," Connor said, his voice low and almost menacing. Dani was confused. The boys loved Doc! What happened? Louder, Connor said, "Would somebody...PLEASE...come over here and..."

"FUCK!" Doc spat.

Connor was yelling now. "ME UP THE..."

"ASS!" Doc sighed as Romeo and Murphy collapsed in a fit of giggles, Murphy falling to the floor, holding his sides.

"YES!" Connor exclaimed. "That's what he done! That's what he's done every time! I took ya down, old man, I took ya down!" Murphy's boots were kicking against the side of the pool table as he laughed.

Dani sighed, shaking her head and smiling with relief. "All right, boys, I think it's time for this party to break up. Doc and I need sleep if we're to get this place open tomorrow night." Doc nodded in agreement, grabbing his cane and shuffling past her, raising a hand to the men in the storeroom. Dani smiled and nodded her goodbye, but Murphy struggled to his feet and grabbed her hand before she could leave. Dani grinned at the drunken cloudiness in his eyes. "You stay here," she said softly. "I can't drag you to my apartment when you can barely stand."

He rubbed at his eyes with a hand. "I'm okay," he insisted.

She shook her head, plucking the cigarette from his lips so she could kiss him. "You sleep well, darling," she whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow, I hope."

He frowned. "I don't know. We've gotta get some information tomorrow. Don't know how it'll all turn out." Dani frowned but nodded. "At least lemme have your number here. Maybe I can call or..." Murphy shrugged.

Dani sighed as she gave him his cigarette back. "Wait here." She left for a moment, then came back with a scrap of paper, her cell phone number written on it.

Murphy took the scrap and tucked it into his jeans pocket. He lightly kissed her lips, whispering, "Good night." She smiled and backed out the door, waving to Connor and Romeo before leaving the pub.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Around 11 PM the next night, Dani received a call from an unknown number. "Hello?" She had to go to the back of the bar and plug her ear with a finger to hear.

"Hey, love, you think you can do us a favor?" It was Murphy.

"Anything for you," she replied with a smile.

"We'll be comin' back in an hour or so. We're gonna need the bar to be open past 2. Think that'll be a problem for Doc?"

She shrugged though she knew he couldn't see her. "I don't see why it would be. What's going on?"

"We're gonna have some guests tonight, but we need a private place to talk."

"I'll let Doc know."

"You're the best, love. I gotta go. See you in a bit." The line went dead, but Dani was smiling. She had almost been certain she wasn't going to see Murphy that day.

Around midnight, Dani made up a thin excuse to go into the store room. Sure enough, the boys were taking off their coats, having just arrived. Murphy grinned at her and greeted her with a kiss. "You let Doc know?" he asked.

She nodded. "Who's coming?"

"Some old friends," Connor said with a grin.

"Aye, along with a friend we didn't know we had," Murphy said with a nod.

Confused, Dani shook her head. "What are you guys talking about?"

Murphy walked over to the pool table and picked up a bottle from the night before. He frowned at the fact that it was almost empty, but opened it and drank the rest of the alcohol anyway. "Don't you worry about the FBI anymore, love," he said, swiping a hand across his mouth. "We've got it all taken care of."

She narrowed her eyes. "How? Smecker's dead."

"Aye, Smecker is," Connor said. "His apprentice, however, isn't. She knows about us, and he specifically told her before he passed that he wants her to make sure we're not locked up."

Dani's mouth dropped open. "So...you've got her on your side..."

Romeo chuckled. "Man, you shoulda seen the mess we made tonight. Woo! Damn, that chica really knows her stuff."

Dani looked at him, confused; but she didn't ask for clarification. "Listen, I gotta get back to the bar. So, when can we expect these friends?"

"A little after 2," Murphy said around his cigarette. "Maybe 3." Dani nodded and left the storeroom, trying to process the good news.

xxxxxxx

By 2 AM, the bar had cleared out. Dani busied herself washing glasses. She looked up when she heard the door to the store room open, and Romeo poked his head out. He ducked back in, then walked out with the brothers behind him. Connor and Murphy joined her behind the bar. Romeo sat on one of the stools on the other side. Doc had busied himself with a broom, carrying on his normal routine.

Connor helped Dani clean up as much as he could, Murphy trying as well but mostly getting in the way. Romeo slowly drank from a bottle of beer, his eyes trained on the door. Dani had made sure at least three times that the doors weren't locked as they normally would be that time of night. "What time is it?" Murphy asked Dani.

She checked her cell phone display. "2:38."

He nodded and exchanged a look with Connor. "We're gonna need you to stay outta sight, love," Murphy said, smiling. "We wanna scare our friends before they find out we're here. If they see you, it'll probably give us away."

Dani was confused, but slowly came to a realization. "They don't know you're here," she said. Murphy was full-on grinning as he shook his head. "All right," she said, grinning herself, "but I'll be watching from the kitchen. I wanna see this." She made her way to the back kitchen and made herself busy in there. She heard scuffling around shortly thereafter, then the sound of the front door opening. She hurried to the kitchen's door and opened it just wide enough to peer through.

Romeo was leaning against the bar as a woman walked in, three men behind her. Dani covered her mouth to keep from laughing when she recognized Detectives Duffy, Dolly, and Greenly as the three men trailing the woman. She wondered if this was the woman Duffy had told her about, and if this same woman was the FBI agent who had picked up where Smecker left off.

"What is this?" Dolly asked, pointing at Romeo. "What is this?" His voice was growing panicked. "Who the fuck are you? You're either Vice or IAD. You're IAD, aren't you? Okay! Come on! Fuckin' arrest us!"

Dani pressed her lips together hard to keep from giggling as the detectives began to each go into a panicked meltdown. Duffy was trying to calm Dolly, and Greenly was ready to hold out his hands to be cuffed. They were all thinking their involvement in Poppa Joe's execution had finally been found out, and they'd be arrested.

Suddenly, the MacManus brothers popped up from their hiding places behind the bar, spraying the detectives down with water hoses made for filling glasses. The detectives and the brothers were all yelling incoherently, Romeo and the woman both laughing. The scene made Dani laugh, and she figured it was safe to come out of hiding. The brothers finally stopped their water barrage when Duffy yelled, "Stop it! God DAMMIT!"

"You don't write!" Connor admonished with a huge grin. "You don't fuckin' call!"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Murphy added.

Relief washed over Greenly's face. "Get the fuck outta here!"

"You knew all along?" Duffy accused the woman, pointing at her as she laughed.

"Not keepin' in touch with your old friends!" Murphy scolded.

"Shame on ya!" Connor yelled.

"You fuckin' bitch!" Dolly said, having dropped to his knees. He began crawling towards the woman and wrapped his arms around her legs. She chuckled as she patted him on the head. "Oh, thank you!" he said, laughing. Dani noticed that Romeo was holding his stomach from laughing so hard.

Duffy did a double take as Dani came out of hiding. "Aw, come on, you too?!"

She grinned at him and shrugged as she went over to Murphy and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I figured the less you knew about them being in town, the less the FBI could get outta you," she said, smiling and nodding at the woman. The woman smiled back, extending a hand. Dani shook it, introducing herself.

"Eunice Bloom," the woman said with a thick southern drawl.

Murphy kissed Dani's temple before going around the side of the bar. "Let's get some drinks up here for our friends!" he said to her with a grin.

"Comin' right up!" She set about collecting shot glasses and beer glasses, looking at each detective in turn for his drink of choice. Soon, everyone had settled, and Agent Bloom was showing the boys some intelligence they'd received that night. Dani tried to act like she wasn't listening, but she kept her ears open.

"Where's it gonna happen?" Dani heard Eunice ask.

"The Pru," Connor replied.

Dani's eyes widened. "The Prudential?" Dolly exclaimed. "What're you, cracked?"

"Why don't you just do it on center ice at a fuckin' Bruins game?" Greenly said sarcastically.

"That's where our man is, so that's where we're goin'," Connor said matter-of-factly. "No guts, no glory, Green-Beans."

"In fact, we could use a few extra hands," Murphy added. "That is, if you boys can still get your Irish on."

"Hey..." Greenly retorted, "I got balls for days, pal-y. I'm a fuckin' sack-o-matic!"

His comment made the Saints and Eunice chuckle. "He's a sack-o-matic!" Connor repeated, laughing.

"We're in," Dolly and Duffy said in unison, raising their glasses.

"All right, you boys have fun," Eunice said with a smile. "Connor, Murphy, escort a lady to the door?"

Murphy and Connor jumped up and each offered her an arm as they walked her out. "So..." Dani said, leaning on the bar in front of Romeo. "What's your part in all this, exactly?"

He looked at her for a second before answering. "I'm their ace in the hole, chiquita. They need information or an extra hand, I'm their man."

Dani nodded, a small smile on her lips. "So you're basically my brother's replacement..."

Romeo frowned. "I wouldn't say that. I just kinda fell into this shit. Got lucky, you know?"

She nodded again. "Yeah, kinda like him, from what I've been told. It's all right. I'm glad they've got someone else on their side." She reached across the bar and patted his shoulder. "If they have faith in you, you must be worth it."

He gave her a hesitant smile. "Well, uh...thanks. Thanks, that means a lot." She grinned at him and looked up as the boys came back in. Murphy caught her eye and motioned her over.

Dani followed Murphy outside. "We don't have much time," he said softly. "You heard what's going to happen. 48 hours."

She nodded, looking at the ground. "I know."

"We've got some things to prepare tomorrow," Murphy said, "but tonight and tomorrow night, I'm all yours." He grinned at her with a twinkle in his eye.

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure Connor won't need you?"

"Ah, so what if he does?" Murphy brushed away her question with a wave of his hand. "He knows that I have only a few hours with you, and I don't know if I'm ever going to see you again after that." He was suddenly serious. "I can't waste that time, Dani."

She nodded, letting him take her hand. "I'll see if I can take tomorrow night off," she said.

Murphy kissed the back of her hand. "And tonight?"

She grinned, stepping forward and draping her arms around his neck. "Tonight, I'm gonna have me an Irishman in my bed."

He grinned before she pulled him into a deep kiss. "Shall we go?" he asked, jabbing a thumb down the street.

Dani giggled. "Hold up there, I need to tell Doc I'm goin'. Maybe I can get Connor to cover the rest of the clean up." She winked at Murphy before going back inside. "Hey, Doc! You mind if I head out early tonight?" she asked. The old man looked up from behind the bar, then looked back to the drink he was pouring for Greenly, waving her out with his hand. Dani grinned and walked over to Connor. "Think you'll mind helping Doc clean up for me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

He looked down at her, confused at her flirtations. Then he looked up and saw Murphy leaning against the door, and a light bulb went on in his head. "'Course not," he said, smiling at Dani. "Just have him available by 11 tomorrow morning, all right?"

Dani grinned, taking his hand in hers. "That's more time than I expected," she said, kissing Connor's cheek before turning to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Dani rolled over in a partially awake state and was almost startled to feel a warm body next to her. It only took a moment to remember that Murphy had come home with her; and she sighed happily, laying her hand on his bare chest. He opened one eye and smiled, lifting an arm so she could snuggle closer. They lay in warm silence for a while before Dani said, "I wanna help,"

"What?"

"Tomorrow night. I wanna help." She propped herself up on an elbow to look at him.

"What're you thinking, girl?" he said, squinting at her. "I can't let you do that. The plan's already made out. Even if we had a way for you to fit in, I wouldn't be havin' it. You're staying safe."

"That fucker's father killed my brother!" she argued, sitting up straighter, holding the bedsheets to her chest.

Murphy sighed, sitting up beside her, leaning back on his hands. "And the person who killed your brother is dead," he said. "I know this is a blood relative, but this guy probably didn't even know Rocco. He didn't have anything to do with it. You don't have any reason to have a vendetta or what-the-fuck-ever against him." Dani sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest and crossing her arms on top of them. She knew he was right. She just wanted to be with him in case anything went wrong. His hand touched her bare back, rubbing up and down her spine. "Look, it'll be okay," he assured her. "Connor's got a good plan this time. We'll be fine."

She turned and looked at him. "You told me there are things you can't plan for," she said flatly. "What if one of those things happens?"

He shrugged. "We'll deal with it."

"That's what got David killed..."

"I know. I was there, remember?" he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. Dani felt a pang of guilt, remembering that Murphy had taken David's death nearly as hard as she had.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just want you to be able to get back to Ireland in one piece."

He looked at her for a long moment. He took a deep breath, then said, "We'll be fine." He laid back down, pulling her down against him. They didn't talk for a long while after that.

xxxxxxx

Dani and Murphy had gotten up and dressed and had eaten breakfast when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to see Connor and Romeo there. "Ready?" Connor asked Murphy after giving a quick nod to Dani.

Murphy nodded, but Dani broke in. "You guys want some breakfast or something? I can make up something real quick." She was desperate to keep Murphy around for just a little longer.

Connor shook his head and looked at her apologetically. "We need to go."

Romeo shrugged helplessly as Murphy pushed past her, kissing her cheek quickly. "We'll take a raincheck, honey," Romeo called as the three of them disappeared down the stairs.

xxxxxxx

Dani sat in her apartment, smoking a cigarette as she stared blankly at the tv screen. She had called Doc earlier to tell him she wouldn't be at work that night. "I d-d-didn't expect you t-t-ta be," he'd said, making her chuckle. He always knew.

A knock surprised her. It was only 5 PM. She jumped up to answer it. "What're you doing here so early?" she asked when she saw Murphy. She grinned and hugged him, pulling him inside.

"Everything's ready to go," he said with a laugh. "I'm all yours until tomorrow evening."

She squealed a little with excitement, making him laugh again as he hugged her. She gasped. "Dinner. I can make you dinner for once! It's been a long time since I've been able to do that! You just sit on the couch and relax, and I'll--"

Murphy wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her, the rest of her words fading away. Dani felt his hands slipping under her shirt as he kissed her harder. The way his tongue forced her mouth open made her head swim. When he broke the kiss, she was dizzy; and her nerves were tingling from the feel of his warm hands on her skin. "I'm not too worried about food tonight," Murphy breathed. She hardly had time to nod before she was pulled into another searing kiss, his hands sliding down to press her hips against his.

xxxxxxx

Dani awoke from a light doze around 9 PM. She nuzzled her face into her pillow, which she found was Murphy's shoulder. "You're awake?" he asked.

"Mmhmm..." she mumbled sleepily, her hand trailing over his body.

"Good, 'cause I got somethin' I wanted to give ya before tomorrow," he said, gently pushing her back as he got out of bed. She watched his form cross the room to the bag he'd brought with him, only now noticing the new tattoo on his back as he knelt to look for something.

"Connor do that one too?" she asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder.

She pointed to his back. "The tat."

"Oh, yeah, of course."

She shook her head and laughed. "Man, do you know how much money you two would be makin' if you settled down and opened up a tattoo parlor?"

Murphy chuckled as he got back to his feet and climbed back into bed with her. He handed her a small, velvet bag. "Here..." Dani sat up and opened it, pouring out its contents into her hand. It was a small silver cross on a delicate chain. Murphy sat up and cleared his throat. "'Twas me ma's," he explained. "Conn and I went to see her when we got back to the island. Surprised the hell outta the old woman," he chuckled. After a pause, he continued. "I told her about you. She smacked me a bit when I told her I couldn't go back to you."

Dani chuckled. "Sounds like a good woman," she remarked, lightly touching the cross.

"Aye," Murphy nodded with a smile. "Once she was done cursin' me out, she went in her room and got this. Said it belonged to her mother before her. She told me that I'd better get my arse back to you so I could give it to you."

"I don't understand. Why does she want me to have something so special to your family?"

He hesitated. "'Cause she knows her son. An'...she knows I'm not gonna ever want another woman." Dani looked up at him as he took her hands in his own. "Dani, you know we can't get married or anything like that," he said. "But if we could...this'd be me asking you to do so." He picked up the necklace by the chain, letting the cross dangle. "This is what she'd set aside for my future wife. She saved her mother's ring for whatever girl Connor settles down with."

Dani couldn't speak for a moment. Finally, she took a deep, shaky breath. "Put it on me?" she asked, smiling. Murphy smiled back at her, clumsily clasping the chain around her neck. His fingers traced it back down to the cross. She looked at his hand as it stayed pressing the cross to her chest, then she looked up at him. His eyes were closed, his lips moving silently. When he looked up at her, she asked, "What were you praying for?"

He bit his bottom lip for a moment. "For Him to keep you safe. And happy. And to let you know that I'm always with you because of this." He tapped his finger against the cross.

Dani clenched her teeth against the tears welling up in her eyes. "And what's going to keep you safe?" she whispered. Murphy looked at her, but couldn't answer. He instead pulled her to him, lying down again as he held her.

xxxxxxx

The next morning was spent mostly in silence. Murphy and Dani both knew their hours together were ticking away. They tried to make the most of it, but Dani quickly learned that they couldn't be like a normal couple. They couldn't go out together because someone might recognize Murphy. He could only venture out if it was truly necessary. They spent the day cuddling on the couch, forgetting the television for an hour or two at a time as they got caught up in each other's kisses and touches. But the gravity of the night to come loomed over them both like a storm cloud.

Close to 8 PM, the knock Dani had been expecting came. She looked at Murphy longingly as she went to the door. When she opened it, Connor and Romeo came in. Murphy took a look at his brother and nodded, going into the bedroom to get his things. "Hey," Connor said, putting a hand on Dani's shoulder. "Everything'll be fine. We'll see you tonight after we're done, at Doc's." Dani tried to give him a smile and nodded. Connor's eyes flickered down, and his hand picked up the cross she was wearing. He looked at it for a moment, then looked back at her face. Neither said a word, and she couldn't be sure what he was thinking. He gently patted her cheek, then walked over to the bedroom.

"What was that?" Romeo muttered to her, looking after Connor.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sure he recognized it. It's their mother's." Romeo looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She tried to smile. "Murphy said he was supposed to give it to the girl he'd marry. We can't, but...the sentiment's there..." She stopped talking when her chin began to quiver. Romeo looked at her sadly and patted her shoulder as she tried to regain her composure.

"All right, let's go," Connor announced, walking back to the door. He leaned down and kissed Dani on the cheek quickly. "We'll see you tonight, little sister," he said with a wink. She smiled, a little more genuinely this time, and nodded.

She stopped Murphy at the door. "Be careful, love," she whispered. She placed her hand on his chest and felt his rosary under his shirt. He nodded and kissed her gently before leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Doc didn't say a word about Dani's working on a night she wasn't scheduled to. He knew she had her reasons. Her eyes constantly darted to the door all night, but she knew they wouldn't come in that way. For all she knew, they were already in their store room "hide out," but she couldn't keep going to check. The pub cleared out earlier than the previous nights; always did on Sundays. Around midnight, from the corner of her eye, Dani saw Romeo poke his head out to do his "all clear" check. Sure enough, he came out a few seconds later; and she was relieved to see both MacManuses behind him. She was elbow deep in soapy water, washing glasses, when Murphy wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck in greeting. She closed her eyes and sighed, a smile on her lips.

"Toldja we'd be fine," Connor said, winking at her as he sat on a barstool.

She nodded, looking over her shoulder at him. "Aye, you did..."

Murphy raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Sounds like you're getting' a bit o'Irish in ye," he said.

Connor snorted. "I thought that was last night," he said, ducking away from his brother's fist as he laughed. Dani blushed but laughed as well.

"We need to clean our shit," Murphy said, looking back at Dani. "Mind if we set up shop here?"

She shrugged, rinsing her hands before tossing him a couple rags. "Just make sure you put those down before getting the oil and shit out."

He nodded and went to grab their weapons. About an hour passed, Doc sitting in one of the bar's booths as he cleaned the silverware, Dani behind the bar restocking bottles. The brothers cleaned their weapons skillfully. Romeo did an even faster job on his own, then left, saying he'd be with his uncle.

The door to the pub squeaked open, revealing Greenly with a huge grin on his face. "SACK-O-MATIC, I said!" he exclaimed, grabbing his crotch with both hands.

Dani giggled as the brothers laughed. Suddenly a loud shot rang out, and Dani spun around to look at the boys. The panicked thought that one hadn't cleared his weapon and shot himself with the huge Desert Eagle ran through her head before realizing that they were both diving behind the bar, Murphy grabbing at her shirt to pull her to the floor. As she was pulled down, she saw Greenly falling to the floor. She covered her head with her arms as another shot caused bottles to break and wood to splinter behind the bar. "I got nothin'!" she heard Murphy say as he checked a shotgun.

"One in the hold!" Connor replied as he looked at his own gun. More shots rang out from their attacker. "Fuck you!" Connor yelled as Murphy quickly traded to a gun with a round in it. "One, two, three!" Connor counted, both brothers standing with guns drawn on three.

"Boys! Boys!" Doc cried out. Dani raised her head over the bar and covered her mouth in horror. The gunman had his legs wrapped around Doc from behind, holding a knife to the old man's throat with one hand and pointing a gun at the boys with the other.

"Put 'em down," the gunman ordered. "Throw them over!" When the brothers hesitated, the attacker yelled, "I'll kill the old man! Throw them over!" Dani saw Connor touch Murphy's arm; and they both surrendered their weapons, throwing them on the other side of the bar, out of reach. The gunman grinned. "Brothers, eh? Oh, we're gonna have some fun! So which one first, huh? Which one do you love more? Huh? This one?" Dani was about to fly from her hiding place when she heard another shot, but this one sounded suppressed. It couldn't have belonged to the gunman. Instead she heard him scream in pain.

Dani looked at the brothers who were both looking to the other side of the pub. She pulled herself up to see, and her eyes widened to see Noah MacManus step through the door of the women's restroom. "Da..." she whispered. Murphy put a firm hand on her shoulder and shoved her down. Her eyes met his, and she wasn't about to protest against the fierce adrenaline she saw there. The gunman continued to scream, and the brothers both crawled back over the bar. Dani peeked her head over, standing fully when she saw them kneeling over Greenly. "No..." she said, covering her mouth with her hand. Greenly was coughing, and there was blood coming from his mouth.

"Doc!" Connor screamed. Dani could hear Murphy beginning to cry. "Call a fuckin' ambulance right now!" Dani was closer to the phone, so she rushed over and began to dial 911. She hesitated when she saw Noah step up to the gunman. "Dani!" Connor screamed. "Call them right fuckin' now!"

"But Da..."

"Do it!" At the insistence in Connor's voice, she forced herself to dial. He was right. On one hand, they were risking being caught if the ambulance came too quickly. On the other, Greenly's life was at stake.

Dani quickly gave the emergency operator the address of the pub, saying that someone had been shot. In spite of the operator's instructions to stay on the line, Dani hung up. The gunman was on his knees in front of Noah, and Noah was holding out two revolvers. Dani came around the bar to where the boys were kneeling over Greenly. "Just hold on, man," Murphy said to the detective.

"Help's on the way, hang in there!" Connor said, his voice tight with panic and grief.

Greenly's weak cough made Dani look away from Noah and down at him. "No...boys...it's over," Greenly said, struggling with the words. She looked at Murphy helplessly and saw tears running down his face. She moved around and took Greenly's head into her lap.

"It'll be okay, David," she said shakily, stroking his face. "Hang on."

"'S okay," he said, looking at Connor. "Proudest day of my life." Dani's head fell as her own tears began to fall. Not again... Greenly coughed twice, then fell limp. Both brothers' heads fell, and Dani squeezed her eyes shut as she cried.

"Da!" Connor's yell made Dani's head snap up and spin to look over her shoulder. Noah and the gunman were each holding a revolver, barrels pointed at each others' head.

"Easy, boys," Noah said. He nodded to the gunman, almost gentlemanly. Dani's mouth dropped open in horror as the hammer was drawn back on the attacker's gun. He pulled the trigger.

Click.

Dani's breath came in gasps. The boys jumped into action, scrambling for their guns as Connor exclaimed, "Jesus fuckin' Christ!" He and Murphy jumped up and both pointed their guns at the attacker's head. "I'm gonna blow this motherfucker's brains out right now!"

"CONNOR!" Noah roared. "Son...daddy's workin'."

"The fuck you talkin' about?" Connor whispered in disbelief.

Noah merely nodded, signaling his sons to back off. He drew back the hammer on his revolver, asking the gunman, "Where is he?"

"No matter how this turns out," Connor said in a menacing whisper to the gunman, "you fuckin' die today."

"Believe it, motherfucker," Murphy growled as he and his twin stepped back.

"Where is the old man?" Noah asked calmly in spite of the gun pointed at his forehead.

The gunman hesitated. Then, "NO."

Click.

The boys fell to their knees, heads bent in prayer. Dani saw Connor cross himself as they both whispered frantically.

"_Fami famoso_," the gunman said, beginning to repeat the words like a chant. He pulled back the hammer on his gun and pulled the trigger.

Click.

The brothers looked up cautiously when they didn't hear a gunshot. The gunman looked at his revolver with a horrified expression as Noah pulled back the hammer on his own gun. "Where?" Noah asked again. The gunman seemed to be panicking, panting as the metal of Noah's gun pressed against his forehead. "WHERE IS HE?" Noah demanded. The gunman began to scream something in Italian when Noah's gun went off.

Bang.

The gunman fell back, dead. The brothers fell back, panting with relief. Dani crawled over to Murphy, putting her arms around him as he cried tears of relief. She let him cry for only a moment before she began trying to pull him up. "Come on. Come on, we need to get out of here." The sound of an ambulance siren was just beginning to reach their ears. "Come on. To my place. We can stay there." She looked up at Noah who nodded to her and reached down to help Connor to his feet. Murphy wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand before setting to work with his brother and father to pick up their weapons before leaving the pub. As they left, Dani turned to look for Doc. She saw him peering out of the kitchen and ran back to him. "Come on, Doc, let's get you home." She offered the old man her arm to help him out of there and hurried him out as fast as he could go.

She and Doc caught up to the MacManuses in the alley behind the bar. Noah stopped her. "We aren't going with you, dear," he said softly.

"What? Why?" Her eyes frantically moved from him to Murphy.

Noah's hand picked up the cross on her chest, his gloved thumb caressing it tenderly. "The boys say they have a place. You go to your home. Stay out of this messy business."

"Stay out of it? Stay OUT of it?!" she yelled. Noah's hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut your mouth, missy, if you don't want any more trouble," he whispered, his eyes piercing hers. "It'll be safer for you if you don't come with us." He jerked his head in Murphy's direction. "He'll be in touch." Tears fell from her eyes as he removed his hand, but she nodded. She knew from experience to not go against the word of Noah MacManus. He caressed her cheek, then turned away, leading his sons out of the alley. Murphy looked over his shoulder at her, his face pained; but he followed his father away.

Setting her jaw, Dani took hold of Doc's arm. "Come on, Doc. I'll get you home."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Last chapter for this one! There IS another part in Dani's story forthcoming, but not yet finished. Stay tuned? And, as always, I do not claim ownership over any of the lines and/or scenes that I took straight from the movie. Troy Duffy is a god, and I would never try to take credit for his work._

Dani received a call the next night. She answered the phone with a shaking hand. "Hello?"

"Can you meet us tomorrow morning? The alleyway outside Doc's?" Murphy's voice sounded strained.

"Yeah, of course. What's--"

"Can't talk. Just be there. 6 AM." The line went dead in her hand. She looked at the phone as a sob escaped her throat. She knew what this would be. Goodbye.

xxxxxxx

Dani slowly paced in the alley at 5:30, lighting a cigarette then tucking her hands into her pockets. At 5:45, she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Agent Bloom approaching. The woman didn't smile as she approached. She took a deep breath before speaking. "The boys told me you were there when David died," she said softly.

Confused, Dani shook her head. "No, they did that job alone..." Seeing the confusion in Agent Bloom's eyes, she suddenly realized that they weren't talking about her brother. "Oh! Greenly!" Eunice nodded, her lips pressed together tightly. Dani nodded, finishing her cigarette and dropping it to the ground to grind out with her boot. "Yeah. He, uh...he died while his head was on my lap," Dani said quietly.

Eunice nodded again. "Did he say anything?"

Dani sighed deeply. "He said it was the proudest day of his life." Eunice managed a tight lipped smile as she nodded, ducking her head to hide tears that had sprung to her eyes. "You two were...close?" Dani asked.

Eunice sniffed and brought her head up. "No, not really," she said, shaking her head. "But...I had hoped we would be." Dani nodded, feeling a familiarity with the woman's pain.

About ten minutes later, they heard a van approaching and saw it backing down the alleyway. It came to a stop in front of them, and the MacManuses climbed out, Romeo opening the double doors in the back of the van and climbing out.

Dani's eyes met Murphy's as he came around to the back of the van. Neither smiled. He, Connor, and Romeo set about checking their weapons, making sure they had everything they needed. Noah patted Dani on the shoulder as he approached Eunice. The woman pulled a file from under her coat and took a deep breath. "He's in York, Maine," she told Noah, "'bout an hour from here. He's off the grid. Logged on to an FBI database to get the info. Only a matter of time before they flag it." She handed the file to Noah. "Better get a move on. Or they'll get there before you do."

"Will they know it's you?" Noah asked gently. Eunice only nodded. Removing his sunglasses, Noah asked her, "Will you be all right, dear?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Eunice hesitated, then tried to smile. "I hear...Costa Rica's nice..." She let Noah pull her into a hug and sighed as she hugged him back. Dani could hear the pain in the woman's voice as she spoke again. "I never thought I'd ask this of another human being, but please...kill this man. Kill this man."

Noah pulled back and nodded once to Eunice. He walked back to the van, handing the file to Romeo. Noah then turned to Murphy. "Say your piece. We must be goin'." Noah glanced back at Dani, then met eyes with Connor, signaling him to the front of the van.

Eunice walked past Dani and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before walking swiftly out of the alley. Soon it was only Dani and Murphy behind the van. "So you ARE leaving after this..." she said, not phrasing it as a question.

"Aye," he said quietly, taking her hands in his but not looking up at her face.

Dani smiled though she didn't feel like it. She wanted to for his sake. "You know...maybe someday I can visit. Meet your ma..." Murphy looked up at her but didn't smile back. She knew she couldn't. She was just trying to make them both feel better. "Well, come on, asshole, ain't you gonna say nothin'?" she asked, her voice choked with tears now.

She could see the tears in Murphy's eyes as well as he pulled her to him, holding her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Dani," he whispered.

"I know," she replied, stroking his hair with her fingertips.

He pulled back, sniffing and trying to regain his composure. "Now--" he started, but his voice broke, making him clear his throat. "Now, you never take this off," he said, pointing to the cross he'd given her. "You hear me? Never."

She nodded, giving him a tearful smile and clasping the cross in her hand. "I promise," she said.

"And if you do, I'll get Ma to come after you, you hear me?" he said, making them both laugh through their tears. "I can't believe I have to leave you again," he said quietly. "If you had just stayed in New York--"

"Yeah, well, I didn't, Murph," she said, cutting him off. "And if I could do it all again, knowing how much this fuckin' kills to have to say goodbye, I would." She brought her hand up to his face, making him look at her. "At least I can say goodbye this time." She smiled at him before drawing him into a kiss.

A tap on Murphy's shoulder made him pull back. "Come on, man, we gotta go," Romeo said softly, giving Dani a sad look.

Murphy nodded. "I love you," he whispered before turning to leave.

Dani was about to let them go, then ran up to the driver's side of the van. Noah opened the door and looked down at her. "I need to say goodbye to my da and brother, too, ya know," she said, giving a brave smile.

Noah slid down out of the seat and gave her a tight hug. "You got the protection of the saints, lass," he whispered, his hands on both her shoulders. "They'll be watchin' ye." She nodded and clasped her necklace in her hand.

Connor leaned over the seat, and she leaned in to hug him. He kissed her on both cheeks and gave her his lopsided smile before sitting back. "You take care of my man," she said.

Connor grinned, reaching beside him and mussing Murphy's hair. "I've always got me brudder's arse," he said with a chuckle.

Dani stepped back to let Noah back into the driver's seat. She knocked on the back window of the van. "Rome! Don't let me down, man! You got my brother's shoes to fill!" She could see Romeo grin at her through the glass and nod. Satisfied she'd said her goodbyes, she stepped back and watched the van drive away.

xxxxxxx

Late that night, she washed her dinner dishes with the tv on for background noise, distraction. Drying her hands, she sat down at the table. When the commercial break was over, the newscaster announced breaking news. "We have received confirmation from the FBI that the killing spree recently resumed by the infamous vigilante group known as the Saints has come to the end with their apprehension." Dani felt as if her heart had stopped. "FBI informants have told us that the Saints were apprehended in York, Maine, at the scene of yet another killing spree. The three men, Connor MacManus, Murphy MacManus, and Romeo Mata, were transported to the medical ward of Hoag Maximum Security Prison as they were all suffering from injuries sustained in the gunfight that had ensued before authorities arrived at the scene. A fourth man, identified as Noah MacManus, also known as the infamous mafia hitman 'Il Duce' or the Duke, was found dead at the scene. He is reported to be the father of Connor and Murphy MacManus."

Dani laid her head on the table and cried, gripping her cross in her hand. Da was dead, and Connor and Murphy were in prison. This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all. The newscast went on, reviewing the past murders committed by the Saints and saying that a trial would be held at an undisclosed date after the men had healed from their injuries. Dani grabbed the remote and furiously jabbed at the power button, turning off the tv before throwing the remote across the room. It clattered loudly to the floor as she continued to cry.

xxxxxxx

The next day, she watched tv all day, searching channel to channel for more news about the Saints. She came across one reporter who was outside the Hoag. "A crowd has gathered outside the gates of the maximum security prison," the reporter said. "A crowd of supporters for these men known as the Saints. Some hold signs, but all are chanting and demanding release of these men they call heroes." Dani pulled her chair closer to the tv. She remembered this uprising of support happening last time, after Pappa Joe was killed.

"They're protecting us!" one crowd member said into the microphone the reporter offered him. "They need to be out there, cleaning up the scumbags! Free the Saints!" As the crowd got more riled up, the reporter was forced to move away to conclude her report.

Dani had seen what she needed to. She went into her bedroom and pulled a box out from under her bed. She'd opened it only once, and only one man knew she had it. "I pray you'll never have to use it," Noah had said to her as he handed the box to her. The brothers had been passed out in their chairs from a night of drinking, but Noah had made sure that Dani stayed sober enough to talk to her alone. "But I want you to have it. Just in case." When she opened the box, she found a small 9mm handgun and a box of ammunition. "I don't want them to know you have it," Noah had said, nodding to his sons. "Not even Murphy."

"Why?" she'd asked.

"Because I don't want him to think that you're now invincible and try takin' you with them. This is just in case of the worst." She'd nodded at him and closed the box again. Now, picking the gun up for the first time, she felt how it fit perfectly into her hand. She was used to guns, but she'd never used one. She pointed it at the wall, getting a feel for how to hold it. She tried to remember how Murphy held his so she could imitate his stance. Looking at the butt of the gun, she squeezed the release for the clip. She opened the box of ammunition and slowly pressed each bullet into the clip until it was full. She then slid the clip back into the gun, hearing it click into place. Also in the box was a leather holster, much like the one Murphy had worn. It was a double holster; she'd have to get either another gun to even out the weight or a different holster.

"I'm sorry, Da," she whispered, "but I think this is the worst case you were talking about." She hesitated. She didn't have a plan. She couldn't go to the Hoag and break them out herself. After pacing in thought for a few seconds, she grabbed her phone. "Duffy? Can you meet me somewhere? We need to talk."


End file.
